The Effect of the Gut Microbiota on Transplanted Kidney Function

Abstract

The intestinal microflora is extremely important, not only in the processes of absorption, digestion and biosynthesis of vitamins, but also in shaping the immune and cognitive functions of the human body. Several studies demonstrate a correlation between microbiota composition and such events as graft rejection, kidney interstitial fibrosis, urinary tract infections, and diarrhoea or graft tolerance. Some of those changes might be directly linked with pathologies such as colonization with pathogenic bacterial strains. Gut microbiota composition also plays an important role in metabolic complications and viral infections after transplantation. From the other side, gut microbiota might induce graft tolerance by promotion of T and B regulatory cells. Graft tolerance induction is still an extremely important issue regarding transplantology and might allow the reduction or even avoidance of immunosuppressive treatment. Although there is a rising evidence of the pivotal role of gut microbiota in aspects of kidney transplantation there is still a lack of knowledge on the direct mechanisms of microbiota action. Furthermore, some of those negative effects could be reversed by probiotics of faecal microbiota trapoinsplantation. While diabetes and hypertension as well as BKV and CMV viremia are common and important complications of transplantation, both worsening the graft function and causing systemic injuries, it opens up potential clinical treatment options. As has been also suggested in the current review, some bacterial subsets exhibit protective properties. However, currently, there is a lack of evidence on pro- and prebiotic supplementation in kidney transplant patients. In the current review, we describe the effect of the microbiota on the transplanted kidney in renal transplant recipients.

Tacrolimus Pharmacokinetics is Associated with Gut Microbiota Diversity in Kidney Transplant Patients: Results from a Pilot Cross‐Sectional Study

“…In the last decade, the gut microbiota has gained increasing attention as a factor modulating the graft outcome and the occurrence of associated adverse events in KT. 7 Recent advances provided robust evidence that the gut microbiota is involved in TAC PKs through the regulation of ABCB1 intestinal expression. 21 Therefore, in the present pilot study, we evaluated, in a cohort of ambulatory stable KT recipients, whether the gut In meta-analyses of large human cohorts, drugs are consistently associated with variation in intestinal microbial communities.…”

“…In the last decade, the gut microbiota has gained increasing attention as a factor modulating the graft outcome and the occurrence of associated adverse events in KT 7 . Recent advances provided robust evidence that the gut microbiota is involved in TAC PKs through the regulation of ABCB1 intestinal expression 21 .…”

“…Concerning the impact of IS therapy on the gut microbiota composition, there has been several clinical studies on this topic and reviewed nicely by Przybyciński et al 7 and by Winichakoon et al 8 The major limitation of those studies is that they compare the gut microbiota of KT recipients under IS strategy vs. KT recipients before transplantation or vs. healthy controls. Therefore, it is not possible to differentiate the specific effect of the KT on the gut microbiota composition from the changes associated with the inherent IS therapy.…”

“…Concerning the impact of IS therapy on the gut microbiota composition, there has been several clinical studies on this topic and reviewed nicely by Przybyciński et al 7 . and by Winichakoon et al 8 .…”

Probing the functional and therapeutic properties of postbiotics in relation to their industrial application

“…

The term gut microbiota is usually referred to live microorganisms present in human gut, its genomic sequence, and metabolites, along with its living environment are crucially important for gut microbiome balance (Przybyciński et al, 2023). The microbial community can enter the human body through the parts which are in direct contact with the external environment (e.g., the urogenital tract, upper respiratory tract, or skin).

…”